Sweet and Tender
by Lou Buggins
Summary: A fluffy moment between T.J. and Spinelli on a train ride home.


**Author's Notes: So this idea came to me while I was in Houston, TX leaving the rodeo.** **My family and I took the train there and back, and on our way back, I noticed a couple sitting across from me, who were cuddling and feeling the women's baby bump. It was super cute and so that's how this story was born. I may make this into a multi-chapter fanfic, but that's a big maybe. Also, please note that this is completely unrelated to Recess: College Drabbles. This falls in line with my headcannon, where they get engaged at their high school graduation and marry a year into college. How they handle being parents, going to school, and establishing their careers are obstacles I would address, if I choose to make this an actual story. Now enough with the background information! Enjoy the fic and as always Read and Review!**

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It was late into the night when they finally arrived at the train stop outside the amphitheater. They had just left the concert that was being featured that night, and their tired feet where more than ready to take a break, while they road on the long train ride back to their vehicle. They stood at the platform, hand and hand, as the train pulled beside them. As soon as the doors opened up, the couple rushed inside in hopes of catching a seat. Unfortunately, there was only one seat left, so the man stepped aside and ushered his female campion to take the seat, which she gratefully accepted.

The man gripped the metal bar beside the women, and stood protectively at her side. As the train jerked forward, the man could not help but stare longingly at the seats. This only made his sore feet ache more, so with a shake of his head, he turned his attention over to the women beside him.

For the hundredth time that night, he admired the women of which he had married only a year ago. Even as tired as she was, she was still quite the sight for sore eyes. Her raven-black hair ran down to her shoulders and stood out against her naturally tanned skin. She was wearing a simple black cattail dress, with dark black pantyhose and black high-heeled shoes. It wasn't her normal look, or even her preferred look, but it was the only outfit that still fit her.

Again, his eye traveled down towards her torso. He was still not yet used to seeing her pregnant belly. It was always such a thrilling surprise to see her carry their child. Something the two of them created together out of their undying love for each other. He felt the same way when she first told him that she was with child, but she wasn't really showing then. It was almost too easy to forget that she indeed, pregnant. However, now that she was beginning to show, it was like a constant reminder of his little bundle of joy.

The train jerked once more, bringing him out of his thoughts. It had stopped and emptied some of its passengers, and much to the man's relief, opened up a seat next to his wife. He sat down with a pleasant sigh as the pain left his feet. The women noticed this, and smiled amusingly at her husband's reaction. She thought about how much of a gentleman he had been these past few weeks, and how grateful she was to have him to put up with her overall craziness. She decided that he deserved a reward for his sincere efforts in keeping her happy and comfortable.

"Teej," she whispered to him, "would you like to feel her?" She gestured toward her expanded stomach. Neither actually had a clue as to the gender of the baby yet, but she insisted that it would be a girl. Her husband was tempted to believe her too, because he knew she would rather have a boy, but kept referring to their offspring as a female.

The man looked at her puzzled for a moment. She almost never let anyone touch her stomach, including him. She complained that it was "too girly and flat out weird," so it was quite the surprise to the man when she offered to let him feel her pregnant belly. When she gave him a reassuring smile, however, he knew that her offer was sincere. With extreme caution, he extended his hand and hovered it over the protruding spot. The women rolled her eyes at his ignorant behavior.

"Sheez Teej, I'm not made of glass!" She hissed.

"I know! I just don't want to hurt our child before she even makes it to the third-trimester." He whispered back. The woman rolled her eyes again, but she had an affectionate smile. It was both annoying and amusing how excited, yet cautious her husband could be around the unborn tike. Slowly, the women wrapped her small hand around her husband's much bigger one, and pressed it firmly on her abdomen. Her husband's look of horror was priceless.

"Relax, T.J., you aren't going to hurt her."

His wife's comforting voice was enough to reassure him that what he was doing was in fact, harmless. Letting out a sigh of relief, he let her hold his hand in that one spot for several minutes. After some time passed, he grew a bit more confidant and carefully moved his hand across her torso. He would stop at one spot for a few heartbeats, then move on to the next one. His wife watched him curiously, as his hand traveled around her belly. She was quickly annoyed by his odd movements.

"What are you trying to do, Detweiler?"

"Relax, I'm just trying to feel her like you said I could."

"Well you can feel her with your hand in one spot!"

T.J. looked up at her pointedly. "If I could feel her in one spot, than I would have stopped moving my hand, now wouldn't I?"

"What do you expect her to do? She's only 16 weeks old! She's not going to start kick-"

"She kicked! She kicked!" T.J.'s excited voice announced. Those around them looked at them with a mix of amused or annoyed faces. "She's kicking, Spin! Oh sweet tender, she's kicking!"

"Alright T.J.! Calm down! You're waking up the entire train!" She hushed him, embarrassed by all the attention she was suddenly receiving.

"Can you feel her, Spin?" He asked in a much lower voice.

The women took a moment to concentrate on her daughter growing inside of her. She could feel her moving around, but no kicks yet.

"No, I don't. Are you sure you didn't just imagine - oww!" The women gripped her stomach as a sharp pain hit her lower abdomen.

"Woah, Babe, are you okay?" T.J. asked with concern. He had moved his hand at this point, and was now wrapping his arms around his pained wife. He expected her to be angry at him for causing her pain, but what she did next he would never have guessed - she laughed.

"T.J." Laughter. "Did you see that?" More laughter. "She kicked me! Our daughter kicked me!" Even more laughter.

"Um, Spin, are you alright?" He questioned.

"Alright? I'm ecstatic! If she's kicking me this hard at only 16 weeks old, we're going to have ourselves a wrestling pro!" She exclaimed through her fits of laughter. "Just imagine it, Teej! Our daughter out on the mat, kicking butt and taking names! And it won't just be wrestling. Oh no, with a kick like that, she'll be on the football team for sure! And kick-boxing, and soccer, and..."

The man listened in awe as his wife went on and on about all the wonderful things their daughter was going to accomplish. He was amazed at how excited she was, after just taking a take to the rib. He thought he was the excited one. The parent that had all these big dreams for their kid. The parent that would feel like he or she were walking on the moon every time his or hers kid did something. That a first word meant their kid was a genius, or that a first step meant their kid was going to go pro. Apparently though, his wife had him completely beat.

"...and by the fourth grade she'll be the best kickball player on the playground!"

"That's nice, Spin."

"Oh T.J., can't you just picture our little girl out there on the kickball field? Kicking the ball so high, that it lands in Principle Prickly's office! Just like you did that one time!" She recalled. She looked at him with her big brown eyes. He swore he saw images of the two of them back in the fourth grade, playing, scheming and unbeknown to them at the time, falling in love.

He smiled lovingly at her and placed his hand over her own that was resting on her stomach.

"That sounds very tender."


End file.
